--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The first thing [Donald Trump] does on…" description: "\"The first thing [Donald Trump] does on January 20th is take an oath to defend and adhere to the Constitution of the United States.\" — Chuck Todd" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13f/chuck-todd-2739_constitution_the-first-thing-donald-trump-does-on-jan_2225740.png" --- # The first thing \[Donald Trump\] does on January 20th is… ![“The first thing [Donald Trump] does on January 20th is take an oath to defend and adhere to the Constitution of the United States.” quote by Chuck Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13f/chuck-todd-2739_constitution_the-first-thing-donald-trump-does-on-jan_2225740.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13f/chuck-todd-2739_constitution_the-first-thing-donald-trump-does-on-jan_2225740.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13f/chuck-todd-2739_constitution_the-first-thing-donald-trump-does-on-jan_2225740.png) > “The first thing \[Donald Trump\] does on January 20th is take an oath to defend and adhere to the Constitution of the United States.” [Chuck Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-todd/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The President’s oath is a constitutional promise to uphold the nation’s founding law. **In simple terms:** President swears to protect the Constitution. Key Takeaway Uphold constitutional principles. Themes government law constitution Mood formal reflective Type civic inspirational When to use this quote - inauguration ceremony - policy debates - legal challenges Key Concepts civic duty rule of law political ritual Questions to Reflect On - What does the oath mean in practice? - How can citizens hold leaders accountable to it? A Different Perspective Oaths are symbolic but may be ignored. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [20Th Oath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/20th-oath-4986233/) [Adhere Constitution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adhere-constitution-2686269/) [Constitution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/constitution/) [Constitution of the united states](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/constitution-of-the-united-states/) [Doe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doe/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [January](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/january/) [Oath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oath/) [Oath Defend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oath-defend-3217117/) [States](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/states/) [Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump/) [Trump Does](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump-does/) [United](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united/) [United states](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united-states/) ## Related quotes > [I took an oath to defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-padilla/i-took-an-oath-to-defend-the-constitution-of-the-united-states/) [Alex Padilla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-padilla/) > [We can't pick and choose when to adhere to the Constitution and when to cast it aside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-coats/we-can-t-pick-and-choose-when-to-adhere-to-the-constitution-and-when/) [Dan Coats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-coats/) > [Donald Trump does not stick to Republican orthodoxy, which, you know, and this is always supposed to have been his downfall. Maybe it's his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-todd/donald-trump-does-not-stick-to-republican-orthodoxy-which-you-know/) [Chuck Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-todd/) > [When I left Kentucky at age 18 to attend the U.S. Naval Academy and lifted my right hand to swear the oath to defend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-mcgrath/when-i-left-kentucky-at-age-18-to-attend-the-u-s-naval-academy-and/) [Amy McGrath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-mcgrath/) > [At the age of 18, I went to West Point, and I swore an oath to defend this Constitution, and I embraced a motto…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-esper/at-the-age-of-18-i-went-to-west-point-and-i-swore-an-oath-to-defend/) [Mark Esper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-esper/) > [You take an oath to defend the constitution. Congress is the next chapter of our national service. We pledged an oath to defend the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elissa-slotkin/you-take-an-oath-to-defend-the-constitution-congress-is-the-next/) [Elissa Slotkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elissa-slotkin/) > [For those who have taken an oath to defend the Constitution against all enemies, both foreign and domestic, it is a call of duty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-zinke/for-those-who-have-taken-an-oath-to-defend-the-constitution-against/) [Ryan Zinke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-zinke/) > [As a former Commander, I gave an oath to defend the Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic. As a state senator, I gave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-zinke/as-a-former-commander-i-gave-an-oath-to-defend-the-constitution/) [Ryan Zinke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-zinke/) > [When a president, as Trump does, demonises opponents as an un-American mob trying to destroy the country, it is not a lunatic who tries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-cox-richardson/when-a-president-as-trump-does-demonises-opponents-as-an-un-american/) [Heather Cox Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-cox-richardson/) > [I was talking to a friend of mine who's a teacher in Iowa and, you know, she teaches kids - English is their second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-hoover/i-was-talking-to-a-friend-of-mine-who-s-a-teacher-in-iowa-and-you/) [Margaret Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-hoover/) > [When Donald Trump does his talking, he - he doesn't tiptoe around the thousand new rules of political correctness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/when-donald-trump-does-his-talking-he-he-doesn-t-tiptoe-around-the/) [Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/) > [ \[Donald Trump\] does have a thick skin, frankly, as someone who works very closely within, that was in that room today, directly beside him.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kellyanne-conway/donald-trump-does-have-a-thick-skin-frankly-as-someone-who-works-very/) [Kellyanne Conway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kellyanne-conway/) > [Trump does like to pick fights, but it is a mistake to think he is transactional on China.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-bessent/trump-does-like-to-pick-fights-but-it-is-a-mistake-to-think-he-is/) [Scott Bessent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-bessent/) > [ There's a whole lot of reasons people are supporting \[Donald\] Trump. Don't misunderstand. And one of those reasons, and it may be the reason… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/there-s-a-whole-lot-of-reasons-people-are-supporting-donald-trump-don/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [If Donald Trump does lose, being revealed as this bizarre personality, Ted Cruz is not going to be what Republicans are looking for in 2020.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-shields/if-donald-trump-does-lose-being-revealed-as-this-bizarre-personality/) [Mark Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-shields/) ## More by Chuck Todd > [Tim Ryan does not look like the 21st century democratic party. And should that matter?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-todd/tim-ryan-does-not-look-like-the-21st-century-democratic-party-and/) [Chuck Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-todd/) > [Does the terror threat we're facing grow out of a perversion of Islam, or does it represent and extreme, but durable, strain of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-todd/does-the-terror-threat-we-re-facing-grow-out-of-a-perversion-of-islam/) [Chuck Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-todd/) > [ \[Donald Trump\] even quoted a tweet from a self-identified 16-year-old as a way to justify crazy unsupported claims about the popular vote. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-todd/donald-trump-even-quoted-a-tweet-from-a-self-identified-16-year-old/) [Chuck Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-todd/) > [ There isn't but this is, in some ways, perhaps, a useful distraction from other things, giving \[Donald Trump\] more space to make his decisions… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-todd/there-isn-t-but-this-is-in-some-ways-perhaps-a-useful-distraction/) [Chuck Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-todd/) > [Barack Obama was better as a campaigner than as a - as a president sometimes in this same position. It is easier when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-todd/barack-obama-was-better-as-a-campaigner-than-as-a-as-a-president/) [Chuck Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-todd/) > [Democrats will say the money they give to Planned Parenthood does not go to abortions. That the money they give to Planned Parenthood only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-todd/democrats-will-say-the-money-they-give-to-planned-parenthood-does-not/) [Chuck Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-todd/) > [As the saying goes, when you're a hammer, everything looks like a nail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-todd/as-the-saying-goes-when-you-re-a-hammer-everything-looks-like-a-nail/) [Chuck Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-todd/) > [The more there is scandal and corruption in Washington, the better it is for McCain, so he's at a high point right now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-todd/the-more-there-is-scandal-and-corruption-in-washington-the-better-it/) [Chuck Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-todd/) > [Folks, some of these town halls are clearly organized. But, regardless, there are potential warning signs that Republicans perhaps shouldn't ignore.We heard Democrats dismiss…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-todd/folks-some-of-these-town-halls-are-clearly-organized-but-regardless/) [Chuck Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-todd/) > [America has a love-hate relationship with celebrity. We love to follow celebrities, but we also love to mock them. And secretly, we believe we're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-todd/america-has-a-love-hate-relationship-with-celebrity-we-love-to-follow/) [Chuck Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-todd/) > [ \[Barack Obama\] was comfortable when he had the foil. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-todd/barack-obama-was-comfortable-when-he-had-the-foil/) [Chuck Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-todd/) > [ One could argue \[Bob\] Corker has been more supportive of \[Donald\] Trump's foreign policy skepticism of the establishment than anybody else. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-todd/one-could-argue-bob-corker-has-been-more-supportive-of-donald-trump-s/) [Chuck Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-todd/) > [One of the more bizarre games I played as a kid was something called 'kill the man.' It was a cross between football and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-todd/one-of-the-more-bizarre-games-i-played-as-a-kid-was-something-called/) [Chuck Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-todd/) > [Despite the fact that David Petraeus is now very highly regarded in foreign policy circles because of his record in both Republican and Democratic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-todd/despite-the-fact-that-david-petraeus-is-now-very-highly-regarded-in/) [Chuck Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-todd/) > [The establishment? Well, guess what? Donald Trump now is the establishment. His primary opponents, many of them are interviewing for White House gigs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-todd/the-establishment-well-guess-what-donald-trump-now-is-the/) [Chuck Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-todd/) [Explore all 152 Chuck Todd quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-todd/) ## More Constitution quotes > [ Next came the Patent laws. 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We are guardian of rights, and we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-bird/the-judiciary-must-not-take-on-the-coloration-of-whatever-may-be/) [Rose Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-bird/) > [There is not a revolution that succe Women are suffering because they are being excluded. The high military council excluded women from the committee…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nawal-el-saadawi/there-is-not-a-revolution-that-succe-women-are-suffering-because-they/) [Nawal El Saadawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nawal-el-saadawi/) > [Free government is founded in jealousy, and not in confidence; it is jealousy, and not confidence, which prescribes limited constitutions, to bind down those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/free-government-is-founded-in-jealousy-and-not-in-confidence-it-is/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [The American Constitution declares 'All men are born equal.' The British Socialist Party add: 'All men must be kept equal'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/the-american-constitution-declares-all-men-are-born-equal-the-british/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [“The Court has a special responsibility to ensure that the Constitution works in practice. While education, including the transmission of our civic values from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-breyer/the-court-has-a-special-responsibility-to-ensure-that-the/) [Stephen Breyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-breyer/) > [The Constitution is very clear on the - on the declaration of war or reacting to international crimes - crimes against nations. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-pitts/the-constitution-is-very-clear-on-the-on-the-declaration-of-war-or/) [Joe Pitts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-pitts/) > [Nothing from man's hands, nor law, nor constitution, can be final. 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If such has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-hamilton/i-am-apprehensive-sir-that-in-the-warmth-of-my-feelings-i-may-have/) [Alexander Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-hamilton/) > [Conservative political opinion in America cleaves to the tradition of the judge as passive interpreter, believing that his absolute loyalty to authoritative law is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/learned-hand/conservative-political-opinion-in-america-cleaves-to-the-tradition-of/) [Learned Hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/learned-hand/) [Browse all 4,507 Constitution quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/constitution/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The first thing [Donald Trump] does on January 20th is take an oath to defend and adhere to the Constitution of the United States.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Chuck Todd" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-todd/the-first-thing-donald-trump-does-on-january-20th-is-take-an-oath-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Constitution" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-todd/the-first-thing-donald-trump-does-on-january-20th-is-take-an-oath-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13f/chuck-todd-2739_constitution_the-first-thing-donald-trump-does-on-jan_2225740.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13f/chuck-todd-2739_constitution_the-first-thing-donald-trump-does-on-jan_2225740.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13f/chuck-todd-2739_constitution_the-first-thing-donald-trump-does-on-jan_2225740.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The first thing [Donald Trump] does on January 20th is take an oath to defend and adhere to the Constitution…” — Chuck Todd", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Chuck Todd", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-todd/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The first thing [Donald Trump] does...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-todd/the-first-thing-donald-trump-does-on-january-20th-is-take-an-oath-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-todd/the-first-thing-donald-trump-does-on-january-20th-is-take-an-oath-to/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```